“Grave concerns” have been raised about controversial proposals that would guide where thousands of houses and business across Wrexham are built.

Councillors feared there would be a major impact on highways, education and communities as Wrexham council’s executive board agreed to send its proposed Local Development Plan (LDP) out to consultation today.

Council chiefs insisted the views of the public would be taken on board before the LDP is sent to the Welsh Government (WG) for approval in spring next year.

Read More

Cllr Hugh Jones supported the LDP going out to consultation, but he said: “I have serious concerns about the specific allocations of sites, with one in my ward that I will not be supporting.”

Both Cllr Alun Edwards and Cllr Nigel Williams added they had “grave concerns” over proposed sites and the impact it could have “on highways and education”.

The LDP will guide the council’s planning department where to consider developments across the county until 2028.

But there are fears proposed development sites, including 1,500 homes on land at Lower Berse Farm, Ruthin Road, and 1,680 houses at land east of Cefn Road, could place a major strain on services and the road network.

Proposals to build hundreds of new homes near to and on Berse Lane, Wrexham. Picture shows land on Berse Lane (Image: Daily Post Wales)

Land is also been earmarked for housing developments in villages including Rossett, Gwersyllt, Llay and Acrefair.

Proposals also earmark 45 hectares of employment land across the county to deliver 4,200 new jobs including a new site at Wrexham Industrial Estate.

Read More

The numbers of homes needed has now been slashed back to just over 8,500 houses, which is almost what the local authority wanted back in 2012, when it scrapped its original LDP following a row with the WG.

Proposals to build hundreds of new homes near to and on Cefn Road, Wrexham. Picture shows land on Cefn Road (Image: Daily Post Wales)

At the time Wrexham Council wanted to build 8,000 homes concentrating on brown field sites, but Cardiff wanted 4,000 more.

It sparked calls from Wrexham Plaid county councillors for compensation from the Senedd for the delay.

Wrexham Council’s lead member for organisation – planning and corporate services, Cllr Dave Kelly, said the sites had been identified through rigorous analysis by specialists.

Read More

He added: “Every councillor will have a site specific concern in their ward, but none of these sites are deliverable without infrastructure or highways improvement and that is part and parcel of the planning committees work.”